Ari Aster, the acclaimed director of films like “Hereditary” and “Midsommar,” has shared an interesting incident that happened during the filming of his latest project, “Beau is Afraid.”
During a recent surprise film screening at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in New York, Aster revealed that Joaquin Phoenix had passed out on set while filming a particularly intense scene involving Patti LuPone, who plays the mother in the film.
According to Aster, Phoenix suddenly walked out of the frame during the shot, and when Aster went to investigate, he found the actor collapsed on the floor.
The incident occurred during someone else’s take, and Phoenix stayed on set until he passed out, despite not being on camera. Aster noted the poetic irony in Phoenix collapsing into someone else’s shot.
About Beau Is Afraid
“Beau is Afraid” follows a paranoid man on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother. The film has been described as a nightmarish comedy and marks Aster’s return to the horror genre after his critically acclaimed debut in 2018.
Interestingly, Aster had previously directed a short film titled “Beau” in 2011, which also involved a middle-aged man’s journey to visit his mother being disrupted by strange events. Aster’s plans for his latest film evolved from this earlier project, given the similarity in titles.
Regardless, “Beau is Afraid” promises to be a thrilling and unsettling addition to Aster’s filmography, with its talented cast and trademark horror style. Fans of the genre will want to take advantage of it when it hits theaters on April 27 and stars Joaquin Phoenix, Nathan Lane, and Amy Ryan, among others.
